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Lucy Letby: police found note saying ‘I am evil’, court hears

Concluding the prosecution’s opening argument, Nick Johnson KC said ‘interesting items’ were found after the arrest and police search of Ms Letby’s home

Concluding the prosecution’s opening argument, Nick Johnson KC said ‘interesting items’ were found after the arrest and police search of Ms Letby’s home

Court sketch of neonatal nurse Lucy Letby by Elizabeth Cook
Lucy Letby court sketch by Elizabeth Cook Picture: Alamy

Police searching the home of nurse Lucy Letby discovered a note saying ‘I am evil I did this,’ a court has heard.

The neonatal nurse is on trial at Manchester Crown Court where she denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others between June 2015 and June 2016 while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

‘I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them’ – note shown to jury

Concluding the prosecution’s opening argument, which began on Monday, Nick Johnson KC said ‘interesting items’ were found after the arrest and police search of Ms Letby’s house on Westbourne Road in Chester.

Paperwork relating to many of the children who died or suffered collapses was found along with post-it notes with closely written words, which included the names of some of her colleagues, the court heard.

The court heard that police found paperwork relating to many of the children who died when they searched Lucy Letby’s home in Chester after her arrest in July 2018.
The court heard that police found paperwork relating to many of the children who died when they searched Lucy Letby’s home in Chester after her arrest in July 2018 Picture: Alamy

Highlighting a yellow post-it note shown on TV screens to the jury, Mr Johnson focused on some of the words written by the accused.

“She wrote, ‘I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them,’ he said.

Mr Johnson went on to tell the jury the note said: ‘I am a horrible evil person’ and in capital letters: ‘I am evil I did this’.

Note from Lucy Letby
Picture: Crown Prosecution Service

He said that after Ms Letby fell under suspicion, she was put on clerical duties where she could not pose a danger to children until she was arrested in July 2018.

Lucy Letby attacked newborn babies using a variety of methods, says prosecution

The jury has now heard in outline the seven murder and ten attempted murder allegations. The allegations outlined by the prosecution say that Ms Letby attacked newborn babies using a variety of methods, including by insulin poisoning and injecting infants with air, causing them to stop breathing.

Most of the babies were born premature, some just a day old when they were allegedly attacked.

The trial began on 10 October and is expected to last six months.


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